Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley @ EBONY REPERTORY THEATRE

From left: Teagle F. Bougere (James Baldwin) and Eric T. Miller (William F. Buckley, Jr.) in “Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley” at Ebony Repertory Theatre (Photo by Earl Gibson III)
Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix
It’s easy to root for Baldwin in this performance, not just because of his brilliant eloquence, but because we feel how he righteously positions himself within the framework of what he argues. By contrast, it’s hard not to think of Buckley as “the bad guy,” to smirk a little when he searches his papers for statistics, for instance, even as we willingly hear him out — in part thanks to Miller’s ability as an actor to humanize his elitism. Read more…